Machine for driving screws



A. M. BAILEY 8v J. 0. COUCH.

MACHINE FOR DRIVING SCREWS.

N0 43,384 Patented July 5, .1864;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..A

ALFRED M. BATLFY AND JOHN o. (lotion, OF MIDDLEFTELD, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOP. DRIVING scaEws.

speciauon forming pan nr Leners Paten't'NII, 43,384, nm-i .my o, ia64.

. lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the .accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side,and Fig. 2 a sectional, elevation of the said machine.

In the construction of many articles made of wood, orpartly ot' wood andpartly of'iron,

external screws are used for fastening the pieces of wood, or wood andmeta-l, together. The screws are generally penetrated into the wood byScrewdrivers 'tt'irned by hand', an

operation slow and fatiguing, and therefore expensive.

The object ofthis invention is to drive wood`` screws by machinery-thatis to say, by means of a mechanism receiving movement from a prime moverand transmitting it tothe screw driving tool in such manner as that itswork shall or may be perf'orI-ned with'speed, accuV4 racy, and ease; andour invention consists, first, 1n the production of anorgani'zedInachine or apparatus or tool for driving woodscrews arranged andcombined to operate as hereinafter described when actuated by a primemover; second, 1n the combination with a suitable frame holding in fixedbearings the screw-driver, and with a platform to support the work tobeoperated upon,of a mechanism .for elevating the platform to thedriver, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinafterdescribed 5I third, in the method of'Y operating, the screw-driver by a'friction' dcvice, substantially as described, the same con sisting of apair of' friction pads or clutches upon the tool-holder and itssurrounding pulley-shaft, respectively arranged forv action inconjunction with the Inovable platform, asdescribed, so that byelevating the platform to the screwdriver the pads or clutches will bebrought into frictional contact, whereby rotary motion may be im partedto the tool or stopped and its speed checked at pleasIne.V

To enable others to make and use our improved machine, we shall nowproceed to del scribe its construction and operation.

rilhe f'I'aIncwt-irl, which is firmly seated or established upon a base,G, is composed of a column or standard, A, from which branch Ott'brackets B, cast in one piece therewith, or riveted or bolted or otherwise secured thereto. The loweruiost bracket supports a platform, D,through anA orifice, d, of which passes the guide-post E, whose upperend supports the table or platform G, upon which the work to be operatedupon is laid, while its lower end passes through an orifice, d', in thebase ofthe machine. A pulley, H, is hung In or to the said bracket, anda cord, h, fast to the guidepost, passes over it and terminates at thepedal-lever I, hinged or pivotedat ein the rear ot' the standard. Bythis arrangement the platform Gis elevated bythe operator depressingwith his foot thev pedal e, the downward motion of the latter operatingthe corti over the pulley and raising the platform in a .line determinedby thc two orifices d and d',

which orifices are in line with those which hold the tool. Thetwouppermost brackets or collars hold in their orifices a hollow shaft,K, upon which is mounted the pulley L, which receives its motion from aprime mover and transmits it tothe tool in the manner herein- I afterdescribed. The hollow shaft K terminates at-its lower `end with or in anannular- .friction-pad, M, secured to the shaft by means of a set-scrcw,m. The Vunder surface of this pad may be roughened or indented for thepurpose of' giving a more powerful gripe or frictional hold. vThroughthis hollow shaft and a collar, B', in line with the other collarsbefore referred to, passes the tool-holder N, the screw-driver beinginserted in the socket in the lower end of the said holder by mea-nsf.

of' a set-screw, n. t,

driving-shaft to be properly coupled for operation. The descentof thetool-holder is lim; ited by -means of a stock, P, securely held in itsplace by means of a set screw, p. Around the screw-driver or tool properthere is a cap or block, It, the interiorof which is hollow or concave,the edges being beveled inward and outwardly. 'Between lthe cap and thetoolholder there is a spiral spring, the tendency of whichis to depressthe cap below' the under side of the screw-driver. n

` A machine constructed' as above described is or may be operated in.fthe manner as follows The pieces of wood or metal which are to beunited' by means of screws are laid or held upon l the blatforln Grunder anV adjustment in suchrelation to the screw-driver that onraisingthe platform by the-action of the foot on the pedal the-'cap Rwill coincide with and inclose. the head of the screw. When thisvadjustment is effected, it will be understood' thatthe axis `of theguide-post E, the toolholder M, and the pulley L and its shaft Rare allinf'thesame line, and that rotary motion p being imparted to either partit will revolve upon anv axis of revolution, which is the eem-v'mon-'axis referred to. Rotary motion being' imparted to the pulleyandiurther pressure being exerted on the pedal, the work will be crowdedagainst the screw-driver and'p'ush it and its holder up through thehollow shaft K until'its friction-pad M comes in contactv with the padMof the pulley-shaft. From this moment the toolshaft will'partake ofthemov'e- `ment-of the pulley-shaft and keeprcvolving so Long as thepressure upon the pedal is continued. The rotary motion thus given tothe screw-driver willv necessarily be transmitted to the screw itself,inasmuch as the rotating edge of the driver will'fallinv with the nickof .the screw before one revolution shall have been completed.. In thisway the screw is driven home with the rapidity with which the pulleyitself is driven. When the screw is driven hom e, pressure on the pedalis released,

the platform drops, 4and the movement ofthe tool and its holder ceasessimultaneously.

1t will be understood that it is within the control ofthe voperatortocheck or slacken the speed or power of the screw-driver by simplyexerting more or less pressure upon the pedal, as before described.

Having now fully described our invention, we claimf j 1. The productionof an organized machine -orappa-ratus or tool -for driving wood screws,

arranged and combined to operate as herein described when-actuated by aprime mover.

42f. y.The combination, with a suitable frame holding in fixed bearin gsthe screw-driver,.and

with a platform to support the work to be operated upon, of a mechanismfor elevating the platform vte the driver, together with a4 self-Acentering screwhead cap for holding the driver e'oncentrically with thescrew, substantially in the manner and for the' purposes hereindescribed.

3. The method of operating the screwdriver by a friction device,substantially as described, the same consisting of a pair of frictionpads orclutches upon the tooldwlder and its surrounding pulley-shaft,respectively arranged for action in conjunction with the movableplatform, as described, so that by elevating.

the platform to 'the screw-driver the pads or clutches will be broughtinto frctional contact, whereby rotary motion may be imparted to thetool or stopped and its speed checked i t pleasure, I

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specificationbefore' two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. BAILEY. Witnesses:l JOHN O. COUGH.

LYMAN A. MILLS, Enwnvl?. AUGUR.

